To coordinate and facilitate all activities related to girls lacrosse on Mercer Island; to promote and facilitate a safe environment for girls to play lacrosse at the high school and youth level; to promote the growth of the sport; and to honor the game b

When buying a girls’ lacrosse stick, remember that you get what you pay for! There are lots of affordable options with decent string jobs coming straight from the manufacturer. However, some of the best pockets (or potential pockets) are those that are personally strung by folks that give a little extra love, care and attention to the development of leathers, nylons and string design. Below are some things to think about when purchasing sticks at each grade level. As always, if you have a daughter that is invested in the sport and will be a ‘lifer’ (play through high school or even beyond), I suggest investing in a ‘top of the line’ stick with a personalized string job, which can last through multiple seasons. Plus, if anything happens, instead of replacing the stick, you’d simply be investing in a re-stringing of the head.

Grades 1-4 (8U and 10U)

Players at this level are just starting out. To set them up for success we highly recommend using the Brine Junior Warp given the fixed, built in pocket. This will enable younger players to develop good mechanics and habits when learning to catch, throw, cradle and pick up ground balls. More importantly, it will make catching and throwing a whole lot easier! New, beginner sticks tend to be a bit like tennis racquets, making it hard for our littles to build confidence catching and throwing. Since the pocket is built into the Warp – there’s little work to be done in that department AND girls can use them through 4thgrade!! If you purchase a different beginner stick, it’s important to develop the pocket (see next section under ‘Grades 3-4’) just below the shooting strings (not at the bottom of the head near the ball rest/stop). While the Warp Juniors are awesome for U9 players, please note that they’re not legal to use at U11.

The first thing you’ll want to do with any of these sticks (with the exception of the *Dynasty Warp Pro) is develop that pocket! This is to help players catch, throw and cradle successfully. To develop a pocket on any stick we recommend:

-Playing lots of wall ball

-Rolling a ball along the back side of the head

-Wedging/pinning a ball in the ‘U’ (just under the shooting strings) of the pocket overnight (a butter knife works great here)

* The Dynasty Warp Pro is made out of Kevlar with a built in pocket - little to no maintenance required since the material doesn’t change.

Again, if you think you have a lifer on your hands invest in a good stick now (STX 500s or next generation – see high school level recommendations). The options below are great ‘middle of the road’ and developmental options. Remember, the better the pocket, the easier it is to handle the ball! You can buy any of the following sticks strung or unstrung. If you choose the unstrung route – see the recommendations below for having them strung professionally (as opposed to how they show up from the manufacturer).

Once a player hits this point in their career and she plans to play through HS, we would recommend purchasing the following sticks. For those serious about the sport, it is a great option to purchase the heads unstrung and then send them away to get strung by a professional. Keep in mind that if you purchased on the higher end of the previous category, those sticks are completely serviceable for grades 7-8 and early into high school!

Peter is one of the best in the industry! His turn around time is fast and he comes highly recommended. With Stylin’ Strings, you have the option of buying heads custom strung OR sending in your current head to be re-strung by them. Lax.com only offers new heads with custom string jobs.

With any headgear or protective equipment, it is very important that you ensure a solid fit! It does not benefit any young player to have a pair of goggles bouncing around their face or falling off their head while playing. We recommend trying a couple of options before settling on the best fit. While all straps are adjustable (and stretchy) you want to ensure that the ‘cage’ over the eyes fits your player’s facial frame well. You know that you have a good fit if the frame of the cage makes solid contact all the way around the forehead/temples/upper cheek area. No gaps!

Youth options (geared towards U9-U13 players)

Depending on the size of your player’s face, you may want to try some of the options listed below HS. The HS options are much less cumbersome and can be more comfortable IF they fit!

While it should be easy enough for anyone to track down a good mouth guard here are some helpful tips:

-Molded mouth guards are always better than un-molded mouth guards! Being able to communicate clearly with your mouth guard in your mouth is the best sign of a GOOD mouth guard.

-Ask your dentist before purchasing a mouth guard. Most dentists, pediatric or otherwise, have mouth guard services at their practice. This becomes especially useful if your player has any orthodontic work.

-Avoid mouth guards with straps that connect to goggles/helmets (unless you’re a goalie, but this is still optional). For many, it’s easy to detach said strap and they can be helpful with younger players. However, we have found that they get in the way most of the time.